Locations

Category

Time

Campfire

A nearby state or national park will have fire pits that you can pull your car up to, or better yet, park a small distance away and walk to one. Make and appointment or get a permit and be on your way! Bring the marshmallows, crackers and chocolate with you, but let the kids find the sticks for roasting. Most parks are Leave No Trace so bring a bag to hold your garbage.

My first garden

Don't have room for a garden? Help your child pick out a plant, flower or vegetable that they can help care for. Pick something small enough that you can put it in a glass or pot and even leave it in the windowsill indoors or put on your rooftop.

Herbs are a good choice for this project because they are so easy to grow and children will love how they can be used to help make dinner! The visual child will appreciate helping to bring a flower to bloom. Talk with your children about the different plants that grow in different climates.

Easy-peasy compost bin

Choose a location that is easily accessible from you kitchen and/or garden. You can use a bin or just surround a pile with a mesh fence. You can start it with leaves, grass clippings and other garden debris. Help activate the compost by adding a shovelful of finished compost or garden soil to your compost pile of one cubic metre brown and green material (2 parts brown to 1 part green). You and your child can work together to turn the pile about once every week. You'll be satisfied to see finished compost about two months after you began the project.

Do not add any animal waste, oils, dairy, diseased plants or chemicals to your compost. Checking the moisture level and adding water/drying pile will prevent the compost from not heating up and from smelling.

Fun fishing trip

Have you ever taken your kids fishing? Cast your line: Take everyone out for a day or two or three of fishing. You'll love being outside and on the water with the whole family. For an easy trip, bring or rent rods and sit on the bank of a small or nearby lake.

Sunscreen might smell bad, but it's essential for an activity like fishing. (At least you'll smell better than the fish)

Peanut butter and pine cone bird feeder

If you find a pine cone on a walk bring it back to the house for this fun task. Start this creation by tying wire or twine to the stem of the pine cone. Grab you favorite peanut butter from the kitchen and spread it all over the pine cone. Yes, this might be messy! Fill a container that is large enough to fit the pine cone with bird seed. Roll the pine cone in the bird seed so that the peanut butter has caught it. Now you're done and you can hang it up outside!

Lay some newspaper or paper towel out on the surface you are doing this on to catch some of the peanut butter and bird feed.

Be an animal tracker

Going on a walk? If you keep your eyes open you can usually find animal tracks. What type of animal do you think came from? How would you have to walk to make tracks that far apart from each other?

Take a picture or trace the tracks into a notebook and make a collection of all the different ones you see. See a bunch of the same animal tracks? Act like the animal and pretend you live in that environment for some more fun.

A stroll in the sand

Flip off your sandals and pull up your pants. Feel the sand between your toes as you take a relaxed walk on the beach. Few things are as soothing as sand on bare feet and the sound of the outdoors around you.

A hat and sunglasses will make this stroll even more perfect. Bring a camera and document the things you see along the way.